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Catholic weekly The Herald cannot use the word ‘Allah’ in the publication to refer to ‘God’.
See The ‘Allah’ case at the Court of Appeal
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When, why and how Christians use the word ‘Allah’ – The Christian Federation of Malaysia
The Al-Kitab, God’s Word in Malay
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YAHOO! NEWS SINGAPORE
Sarawak churches to hold more ‘Allah’ forums for rural folks
The Malay Mail Online – 1 hour 19 minutes ago
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — More forums on the “Allah” issue will be held to educate those living in Sarawak’s rural areas, the state’s churches have said as a debate on the non-Muslims’ right to use the Arabic wordcontinues unabated.
Rev Datuk Bolly Lapok, the chairman of Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS), confirmed this when asked of the group’s future plans after it organised a forum titled “Standing together for religious freedom” in Kuching on Wednesday morning.
“We shall continue to organise it to [inform] our rural folks,” Lapok replied in a text message to The Malay Mail Online.
Lapok said leaders across the political divide in Sarawak had expressed “deep dismay” over the Court of Appeal’s recent decision, where the appellate court ruled against the Catholic Church’s use of the word “Allah” in the latter’s weekly paper Herald.
The forum was then organised by ACS “to ensure that our outrage was justified and was based on what is lawful and just”, he said, saying that over 1,000 people attended it.
The forum was then organised by ACS “to ensure that our outrage was justified and was based on what is lawful and just”, he said, saying that over 1,000 people attended it.
When contacted, ACS secretary Ambrose Linang explained that the forum was meant to “inform and educate members of society that we are all Malaysians, that we want to live together as brothers and sisters”.
“It was non-political,” the church elder said of the forum, which he said was also attended by those from other faiths, including the Sikhs, Buddhists and Hindus.
The speakers for the forum were researcher Dr Ng Kam Weng, lawyer Lim Heng Seng, and academic Prof Dr Jayum A. Jawan.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/sarawak-churches-hold-more-allah-forums-rural-folks-011700602.html
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“We (Christians in Sabah and Sarawak) have been using the word Allah for over 100 years. Why suddenly we are now told we cannot use it?” he asked, adding that the court’s decision would have a negative impact on non-Muslims beyond Sabah and Sarawak.
Malaysian Insider
Sarawak state minister denounces Allah ruling by court
BY DESMOND DAVIDSON
October 14, 2013
Sarawak will continue to allow the use of the word Allah in Bahasa Malaysia and native language Bibles and church publications, said State Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing, following the Court of Appeal’s ruling today not to allow Catholic weekly The Herald to use the term.
Masing described the ruling as “not genuine”, saying the use of the word Allah predated Islam.
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Masing reminded Christians in the state that Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud had in the past weighed in on the issue by giving assurance that he would not stop them from using the word Allah.
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Malaysiakini
In the aftermath of the decision, an East Malaysian archbishop has said that Christians in Sabah and Sarawak will worship this “Allah” and even challengingly asked the authorities; “what are you going to do about it?”
Gerakan became the first BN component party to come out with a statement on this matter- insisting that the opinions of all BN component parties should have been sought before the government took a stand on such matters.
Here is what various religious leaders and also politicians had had to say about the decision today:
Archbishop Bolly Lapok, Chairman of the Association of Churches, Sarawak:
For an outsider (the judge) to say the use of word Allah is not integral is utterly irresponsible and grossly demeaning.
The church does not need an apologist from outside to decide what is integral or not integral to our faith.
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Sarawak Ministers’ Fellowship:
The Christian Community at large in Sarawak is suddenly returned to a situation where every Bumiputera Christian is under potential threat of being deemed a law breaker or facing arrest.
Their offence would be committed by merely addressing God in their own language, a practice they have adhered to for hundreds of years.
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an Keng Liang, Kedah Gerakan Youth Chief:
It’s a fact that Christians, in particular those in East Malaysia had been using the word “Allah” for a very long time.
Any decision by the government should take this into consideration.
If this issue continues without an amicable solution, it may create friction between the Christian and Muslim community in our country.
‘We will worship this ‘Allah’ till Kingdom come’
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“About 1,000 members will be there to show solidarity,” Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali told The Malaysian Insider.
Malaysian Insider
As Allah decision looms, Muslim groups offer peaceful opposition
Protesters representing several Muslim groups during a sit-in on August 22 outside the court in Putrajaya which heard the government’s appeal against the High Court decision. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, October 13, 2013.
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Muslim groups have pledged to accept the Court of Appeal verdict if it maintains that the Catholic Church can use the word “Allah” in its weekly newspaper.
They admitted that while they might be unhappy with the decision but they would respect it as Putrajaya still had the option of appealing it at the Federal Court.
However, they maintained that the word was still exclusive to Muslims. To that end, they are planning to gather outside the court premises tomorrow in a show of support to Putrajaya which is appealing against a High Court ruling four years ago.
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Jalur Tiga (Jati) said its members would not resort to violence or any act of extremism should the court rule in favour of the church.
“There are other means and all is not lost at this stage,” Jati president Datuk Dr Hassan Ali said.
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However the verdict goes on Monday, both sides have the choice of going to the Federal Court, the country’s apex court, to argue their case one final time.
As Allah decision looms, Muslim groups offer peaceful opposition
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Malaysia Chronicle
Saturday, 12 October 2013 21:14
We used Allah before M’sia was born, WHO ARE YOU TO BAN US – S’wak Christians slam Muslim ultras
Written by Sarawak Ministers Fellowship
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Malaysian Insider
Muslims can’t stop others from using the word Allah, says PAS president
BY EILEEN NG
October 12, 2013
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (pic) today weighed in on the controversial “Allah” row, saying there is nothing wrong with non-Muslims using the term in their faiths provided it is not misused or misinterpreted.
“There is no law that does not allow other people to use the word ‘Allah’, but if they interpret it wrongly to Muslims, they need to answer because Allah means He is the only God to be worshiped,” Hadi said after launching a seminar on Shariah at the Universiti Selangor in Shah Alam, today.
Hadi’s statement comes as the Court of Appeal prepares to give its decision on the appeal by Catholic weekly newspaper Herald to be allowed to use the word.
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Hadi said it was not for Muslims to stop others from using the word “Allah”, pointing out that unlike the word “God”, “Allah” is an Arabic word which cannot be translated into another language.
This, he added, makes the term sacred.
His comments contrast the recent call by the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) on Muslims to unite against any attempt to misuse the word “Allah”.
Muslims can’t stop others from using the word Allah, says PAS president
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The association also demanded that the federal cabinet signed a 10-point agreement to the printing, importing, and distribution of the Malay language bible with the word, “Allah” and the freedom to use the word in its sermons.
Free Malaysia Today
Association calls for the use of “Allah” in church
It reminds the government that besides the Federal Constitution, religious freedom was also agreed on when the peninsular was wooing Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia in 1963
PETALING JAYA: The Association of Churches in Sarawak said the Bumiputera churches in Sarawak would continue to use the Bahasa Malaysia bible with the word “Allah” as it was their fundamental right.
Its chairman Rev Bolly Lapok reiterated in a press statement today that the churches expected the federal government strictly abide by the Federal Constitution, which guaranteed religious freedom.
“We are also reminding the government that Sabahan and Sarawakian were promised that our right to practise our religion will be respected when Sabah and Sarawak were courted to join the peninsular to form Malaysia in 1963,” he said.
The press statement was issued prior to the Home Ministry’s appeal against the High Court’s ruling that allowed the Catholic weekly publication, The Herald, to use the word, “Allah” in their publication. The appeal was set for hearing at the Court of Appeal on Monday.
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Bolly claimed that that the use of the word “Allah” was an integral part of the Bumiputera Christian in Sabah and Sarawak who use Bahasa Malaysia in their churches, and that to stop using “Allah” in the practise of their faith would tentamount to a curb of religious freedom.
“This is abhorrent, wholly unacceptable and a flagrant betrayal of the Malaysia Agreement which guaranteed the inalienable rights of non-Muslims in Sarawak and Sabah to religious freedom,” he said.
Bolly also reiterated that Sabah and Sarawak agreed to join and form Malaysia in 1963 with the agreement that they would accept Islam as the official religion of the federation on the condition that those of other faiths would be allowed to practise their religion without restriction.
“We find it completely unacceptable that what are common practices of the Christians in Sabah and Sarawak for generations, more than a hundred years before the very idea of Malaysia was conceived, is now held as unlawful by the government,” Bolly said.
Association calls for the use of “Allah” in church
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weehingthong 